Nonprofits get materials to help soldiers, families

Ruth CampbellMidland Reporter-Telegram

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, March 27, 2009

Representatives from several nonprofit agencies that help veterans viewed a short sneak preview Friday of the PBS special "Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change" highlighting stories of families dealing with family members injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at the Commemorative Air Force Museum classroom.

The program "salutes the extraordinary strength and courage of these amazing individuals and offers the viewing audience a powerful glimpse into their lives," a news release said. The half-hour program premiers at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and will be re-broadcast at 6 p.m. April 12 and 6:30 p.m. April 26.

"We wanted military families and agencies that help military families to be aware of the program," Basin PBS General Manager Daphne Dowdy said. "Basin PBS is owned by the community, our neighbors and friends. We want to do everything we can to support them."

It features singer/actress Queen Latifah, musician John Mayer and Sesame Street characters. The airing on Basin PBS coincides with April being "Month of the Military Child."

In 2006, Permian Basin Area Foundation received a $5 million grant from the California Community Foundation to provide funding to organizations that support soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.

Permian Basin Area Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Guy McCrary said his organization has more than 40 grantees in the Texas assignment area of Texas Resources for Iraq and Afghanistan Deployment. About 25 officials attended the preview.

"Those are all nonprofit organizations that provide counseling. There is a food bank and assistance for emergency needs such as utilities and car repairs," he said. "We have funded a couple of summer campus for young military children. We're funding a program through the 2-1-1 network to try and improve referrals."

"Our hope is that by sponsoring this special broadcast on Basin PBS, the message will reach military children at their level and remind each of us of the tremendous sacrifice made by soldiers and their families on behalf of all Americans," McCrary said.

Johnie Lee Qualls, president, founder and CEO of Soldiers of Today and Yesterday, attended the preview. He said there are 200 soldiers from the Permian Basin currently deployed and another 4,500 set to go to Iraq and Afghanistan from Fort Bliss in El Paso in May.

He said his organization has prevented 38 military families from becoming homeless in the Basin since December.

"I thought it was a wonderful program," Qualls said, adding he would be feeding 776 soldiers on April 20 and speaking to 1,500 soldiers and their families on April 23, both at Biggs Army Airfield. "I will be handing out material to them when I speak to them."

Midland ISD Student Development Supervisor Ron Moss said the packets would be laced in the counselor resource libraries to share with kids and families who have loved ones deployed or returning home.

"Anytime you are using characters children are familiar and comfortable with, it helps them relate to the subject matter and becomes a tool for counselors as they work with those children," Moss said.

Sesame Workshop spent two years creating outreach materials to help military families with young children cope with deployments, homecomings and changes. In 2007, the Workshop produced a PBS primetime special, "When Parents are Deployed," with actor Cuba Gooding Jr., which was honored with an Emmy nomination.

As part of the screening, Basin PBS and PBAF handed out 100 "Sesame Street" multimedia outreach kits to the nonprofits. Each kit includes a DVD starring the Muppets from "Sesame Street" and print materials for children, parents, teachers, counselors, caregivers and facilitators.

Sesame Workshop has produced more than 1.3 million kits, which have been distributed free to families, schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, child care facilities and other organizations.